Thermoplastic

PETG — FDM 3D printing

FDM Available Express available

The everyday functional pick — tough, water-tolerant and easy to live with.

PETG 3D printing material

PETG sits between PLA and engineering plastics: tougher and more forgiving than PLA, with good chemical and moisture resistance, at nearly PLA pricing. It handles light outdoor duty and liquid-contact jigs well, though fine detail suffers and it creeps under sustained warm load.

What PETG is used for

PETG is chosen when a part has to actually do a job. It is common for functional prototypes, machine guards, brackets, spray-bottle-style containers and protective housings — the same tough, slightly glossy plastic used in drink bottles and packaging.

Property profile

Strength
Stiffness
Toughness
Flexibility
Heat
Detail
UV / Outdoor

Strengths

  • Tough and slightly flexible where PLA snaps
  • Good chemical and moisture resistance
  • Handles light outdoor duty far better than PLA
  • Near-PLA pricing with functional-part behaviour

Know the limits

  • Fine detail suffers — prone to stringing
  • Softer surface scratches more easily than ABS
  • Creeps under sustained load at warm temperatures

Maximum build size

1000 × 1000 × 1000 mm (larger on request)

Surface finish & colours

Glossy layer lines off the machine; can string on fine features. Sands and paints acceptably; flame-polishing lifts the gloss.

Wide colour range available, including translucents — reach out to check a specific colour.

Best suited for

Chemical / moisture exposure End-use production Impact-tough Outdoor / UV-stable Water-resistant

Lead time

Standard 3 business days
Express Express available 24 hours

Lead times are indicative and start from order confirmation. Actual turnaround varies model by model, depending on part geometry, print time, quantity and shipping location. Express service incurs an additional charge. Express availability is subject to current machine capacity — please confirm when ordering.

Contact us

Typical technical data

Price$6.69
Tensile strength31 MPa
Elongation at break25 %
Heat deflection (0.45 MPa)70 °C
Heat deflection (1.80 MPa)66 °C
Density1.27 g/cm³
Water absorption (24 h)0.2 %
Layer / tolerance±0.25–0.30 mm or ±0.5%

View technical data sheet (TDS)

Finishing & post-processing for PETG

Parts printed in PETG in FDM can be finished a number of ways at KAD3D, from a clean functional surface to a fully painted, display-ready result. The treatments below are the ones we most often apply to this material.

Sanding
Hand or machine sanding knocks back layer lines and blemishes, stepping up through grits toward a smooth, even surface ready for paint or display.
Painting / Priming
Primer fills the last micro-texture so colour coats lie down evenly; the part can then be finished in any custom colour, gloss level or brand match.
Sealing
A clear sealer closes surface porosity so the part resists moisture and is easier to clean — important on powder and colour parts.
Annealing
Oven-annealing at 75–85 °C for 12 h relieves internal stress and increases crystallinity, improving strength and heat resistance (Bambu Lab filament guide). Results vary with part size, geometry and infill — some prints may warp, so test first.

What this material supports

✓ Paintable ✓ Easy to sand ✓ Threaded inserts
  • Paint & custom colour: PETG primes and paints well, so parts can be matched to any brand colour, gloss level or metallic look.
  • Sanding & smoothing: responds well to sanding, so layer lines can be worked back to a smooth, paint-ready surface.
  • Threaded inserts: heat-set or press-fit brass inserts can be installed for durable, re-usable metal threads for fasteners.

Most popular finish: Print solid and seal seams for liquid-contact parts; sand and paint for a display finish.

Reference #3DBenchy — like-for-like pricing

To make material costs easy to compare, KAD3D prints the same standard model — the #3DBenchy — in every material. The price shown is what that identical benchmark part costs in PETG, so you can weigh materials against each other on a genuine like-for-like basis before uploading your own file.

Benchy in this material $6.69

Benchmark price is a guide for comparison only; your part is quoted on its own size, geometry and finishing. Upload your model for an exact price.

These prices were taken on 1 July 2026 and are still in place.

Where it fits

Brackets, enclosures, bottle and liquid-contact jigs, and light outdoor fittings.

Commonly chosen by Brisbane and Perth workshops for functional brackets, enclosures and liquid-contact jigs where moisture tolerance and toughness matter more than fine detail.

Food-safe compatible*

* Some materials can be food-safe in one manufacturing method but not in another, depending on process, post-processing and batch certification. We recommend referring back to the manufacturer's guidelines and confirming requirements with our team before ordering food-contact parts.

PETG (FDM 3D Printing)

Printed in-house by KAD3D. Upload your part for an instant quote.

Get instant quote Made in Melbourne · delivered Australia-wide.

Material data on these pages was compiled with the assistance of online research tools, in good faith, and may contain inaccuracies. Values are indicative only and intended to give a closer idea of each material's behaviour. For accurate, batch-specific TDS or SDS documentation, please contact KAD3D directly. KAD3D accepts no liability for any reliance on this information.